Yep, Teavana will be absorbing SpecialTeas in the begininng of 2011. So say goodbye while there is still time.

Side note... did you even know that Teavana and SpecialTeas were related in the first place? Yes, indeed. SpecialTeas supplies Teavana with tea and makes a few exclusive blends for them. (Actually, there is a deeper business relationship than that, you know... same owners.)

For the most part, you can get the same. exact. tea. at both places, only you'll pay up to twice as much at one of the vendors. Gee, I wonder which one that would be.

Hopefully Teavana won't screw the pooch and kill the great selection offered by SpecialTeas.

Awww hell, who am I kidding?

Teavana will probably take every tea offered by SpecialTeas, mix it with a million flavor components, and add a pinch of white tea... for your health. Duh.

But really, from Silk Road Teas' Facebook page on November 11 at 6:52pm:

Special Teas, a highly regarded tea company and Web seller, will fold into its parent company, Teavana, and soon cease operating as we know it. Since the 1990s, when ST began it business, Silk Road Teas has been a supplier of its competition-grade and unusual green, Oolong, black and white teas. Those of you who came to enjoy ST's offerings will find many of them on our site, available for your enjoyment!

If you hadn't heard (which I'm sure you have), Adagio Teas is on the mission to expand their operation into physical retail stores. Recently they opened shop at their first location in Naperville, IL. Here's an awesome video from the grand opening.

It looks like they have nailed the tea buying experience. If you live in the area or will be visiting the area, be sure to make the trip to the store. Hopefully by the end of the year, their second retail location in Skokie, IL will be open for business.

To get things started off right, I've got some reading material for you. This posting on Teachat.com is actually one of the first things I found when I first got into tea, had a negative Teavana experience, and did some online research.

It's the thread that will never die and is going on 2 years strong. It gets me fired up every time I read through it.

An exerpt from the OP:

It is a company that bases its sales process on misleading you into what it considers the “best”. It is a sales intense store, which contradicts with the natural essence of tea – a relaxing and heartening beverage that soothes the soul. It seeks to build its image as the worlds premier retailer in tea, but uses average grade quality teas... Teavana markets the hell out of its products, partially by making unsubstantiated claims about its products. It offers an unfriendly work environment.